Truly Epic

When: Fri., May 29, 7 p.m. 2015

Based on the Thomas Dixon novel The Clansman, D.W. Griffith’s The Birth of a Nation follows two families — one pro-Union and the other pro-Confederacy — as they live through the Civil War and the subsequent Reconstruction. The film has been criticized for its racist depiction of African-Americans, and Cleveland State University Robert S. Shelton will be on hand tonight to talk about the controversy as the Cleveland Institute of Art Cinematheque screens a new digital restoration of the 100-year-old movie. It shows at 7 p.m. and tickets are $11. (Niesel)